- a small sharp-pointed organ at the end of the abdomen of bees, wasps, ants, and scorpions, capable of inflicting a painful or dangerous wound by injecting poison（蜜蜂、黄蜂、蚂蚁、蝎子的）螫针, 螫刺。
- any of a number of minute hairs or other organs of plants, jellyfishes, etc., which inject a poisonous or irritating fluid when touched（植物、水母等的）刺毛。
- a wound from such an animal or plant organ刺伤, 蜇伤：
a wasp or bee sting.
黄蜂或蜜蜂的蜇伤。
- a sharp tingling or burning pain or sensation刺痛; 灼痛：
I felt the sting of the cold, bitter air.
我感到寒风刺骨。
- in sing. figurative a hurtful quality or effect〈喻〉伤害性; 伤害的后果：
I recalled the sting of his betrayal
我回想起他的背叛所造成的伤害
she smiled to take the sting out of her words.
她微微一笑, 使自己的话不至于刺痛别人。
- informal a carefully planned operation, typically one involving deception〈非正式〉精心策划的行动（尤指骗局、圈套）：
five blackmailers were jailed last week after they were snared in a police sting.
五个敲诈勒索者落入了警察的圈套, 上个星期被送进了监狱。
- with obj. wound or pierce with a sting刺伤; 蜇：
he was stung by a jellyfish
他被水母蜇伤了
no obj. a nettle stings if you brush it lightly.你轻抚荨麻, 它就会刺痛你。
- feel or cause to feel a sharp tingling or burning pain or sensation（使）感到刺痛; （使）感到灼痛：
no obj. her eyes stung as if she might cry again她双眼刺痛, 似乎又要哭了
with obj. the brandy stung his throat白兰地使他的喉咙感到灼痛
as adj. stinging a stinging pain.刺痛。
- with obj. figurative (typically of something said) hurt or upset (someone)〈喻〉（尤指说的话）伤害; 使心烦：
stung by her mockery, Frank hung his head.
为她的嘲弄所伤害, 弗兰克低下了头。
sting someone into
provoke someone to do (something) by causing annoyance or offence刺激…做, 激励…做：he was stung into action by an article in the paper.
他受到报纸上一篇文章的刺激而采取了行动。
- with obj. informal swindle or exorbitantly overcharge (someone)〈非正式〉敲诈, 欺诈; 向…索高价：
there were fears that as President he would sting them with stiffer tax bills.
有些人担心, 他作为总统会向他们征收更高的税。
sting in the tail
- an unexpected, typically unpleasant or problematic end to something（尤指令人不快的）意外结局：
the Budget comes with a sting in the tail-future tax increases.
预算带来一个令人意外的结果——今后税收要提高。